Archive Page 2

For college football fans, the end of August is a great time of year. All the pre-season polls are out, people are checking where their team is ranked, and arguing that they should be ranked higher. Week 1 sure-shot blowouts are just around the corner, propelling most fans’ teams to an impressive 1-0 (i.e. USC vs. Idaho).

But for Michigan fans, the preseason polls don’t come out until November 12, the Monday after their showdown with Big Ten challenger Wisconsin. Week 1 of a two week season begins November 17, when the Wolverines host rival Ohio State. Week two comes seven and a half weeks later, on Janurary 7, in the BCS National Champoinship game.

If Michigan goes 0-2 again this season, as they have the last three (sub BCS Championship game for Rose Bowl, Alamo Bowl, Rose Bowl) The legacies of three of the best players to put on a Michigan uniform in the last decade will forever be tarnished. Chad Henne, the quarterback who has started all 37 games of his career at Michigan (and also has the coolest last name of any Wolverine since Tim Biakabutuka), Mike Hart, the Heisman candidate halfback who has started as a freshman but has missed time with injuries, and Jake Long, the could-have-been top 5 pick in the ’07 NFL draft as an offensive lineman, will be remembered as the trio who couldn’t get it done. The seniors have never beaten the Buckeyes, or won a bowl game.

A one-loss season should be enough to get Michigan into the Championship game, granted that loss is not to Ohio State. The only way that would not be the case is if both teams more likely to go undefeated than Michigan, USC and West Virginia, do, leaving 11-1 Michigan and on the outside looking in. But, my optimism as a Michigan fan tells me that either A) That wont happen, or B) Michigan will run the table, and end up playing for the title.

Look for a big glass football in Ann Arbor after this season, or some major changes to be made after the bowl season in Janurary.

I’m back from vacation, and I’m just as dissapointed to see that only one person voted on their favorite movie-athlete of all time (and no Brandon, the cool runnings guys aren’t even on the list, try again) as I am excited to see the MLB standings.

In the AL, the seemingly always-awful M’s are at the top of the Wild Card race, only percentage points ahead of the were-counted-out-in-June Yankees. Meanwhile, the “doninators” of the AL central, Detroit and Cleveland (in that order, thank you) are a combined 18-32 since July 20, and battling it out head-to-head in a two game series as I type. After the Tigers won yesterday, they pulled a game ahead of the tribe.

In the National League, Cubs fans have something to talk about this late in the year for the first time since the year that one guy pulled in a so-called catchable foul ball that spaked a Cubbie collapse in the would-have-been series clinching game of the 2003 NLCS (you know who you are, Steve). We all know how that story ends, but Cubs fans believe this is their year for redemption, and they might be right.

Elsewhere in the NL, the Padres, Phillies, Braves, Rockies, and Dodgers have Wild Card hopes, as Milwaukee, Arizona and the Mets hold under-three game leads in their respective divisions.

So, with all that said, the only conclusion I can draw is that this late in the season, it’s still too early to draw conclusions. There are legitimitely 16 teams fighting for 8 playoff spots. Nobody in baseball is safe right now (except maybe the Red Sox), which should make for one of the most exciting MLB finishes in recent memory.

As I sit here watching Dawson’s Creek, I can’t help but man-fantasize about James Van Der Beek’s cannon in Varsity Blues, which instantly begs two questions. Am I gay? And, who is the all-time greatest fictional athlete?

My new-found lust for the show’s Joey (Katie Holmes, not a dude!) quickly answers my first question, and puts to rest any fleeting insecurities about my sexuallity. So now I’m stuck wondering who’s better, Rudy, or Rocky? Boobie Miles, or Jesus Shuttlesworth?

To answer this question, I’m going to need the help of my readers (God permitting I actually have some). Tell me who you think the greatest movie athlete of all time is, or just who your personal favorite is.

The rules are simple, it has to be a movie charactor, not a real life person, unless the movie is based on a real life person (i.e. Rudy). So don’t tell me Michael Jordan from Space Jam is the best movie athlete, or the two kids from Hoop Dreams. I’m holding out for 25 responces, then I’ll watch some movies and make my final decision.

Down by 15 with under four minutes to go, Illinois outscores Arizona 20-5 down the stretch, and puts ’em away in overtime, in what was barely the best game of the day, after Louisville beat the cinderella story of the tournament West Virginia in overtime earlier to advance to the final four. Enjoy.

Time to brush the dust off the keyboard and post something again. And what better time than the day after one of the greatest records in sports is broken?

Last night Barry Bonds finally broke Hank Aaron’s all-time home run record of 755 with his 756th career home run, hopefully putting an end to all the Barry Bonds talk. Well, I’m going to be the first to stop talking about Bonds. All I’m going to say is this: A-Rod will own the record within a decade, and Bonds will be forgotten.

That’s it. That is the last time I will mention Barry Bonds’ name. Okay, I lied, This is. Bonds.

Just in case Kobe Bryant wasn’t enough Kobe for LA, the Lakers added another Coby, in Coby Karl. Karl, who recently had surgery for thyroid cancer, signed with the Lakers on July 30, after averaging 12.2 ppg on the Lakers Summer-Pro league team. So, how do the two (K/C)ob(e/y)’s stack up agasinst each other? Lets take a look.

Family Background:

Kobe – Father Joe drafted by the Warriors in the first round in 1975 before being traded to the Sixers. Played four years with the Sixers, and was then traded to the San Diego Clippers. Played there until 1982, and spent his final NBA season with the Houston Rockets in 1983. Most recently was the head coach of the Los Angeles Sparks, but was fired April 4, 2007.

Coby – Father George played college basketball at North Carolina, before signing with the San Antonio Spurs in 1983. Coached various NBA and CBA teams and won three CBA coach of the year awards from 1979-91. In 1991 he took over as head coach of the Seattle Super Sonics, and took them to the NBA Finals in 1996. Karl is currently the Head coach of the Denver Nuggets.

Pre-NBA Background:

Kobe – USA Today, Parade, Gatorade and Naismith HS player of the year in 1996. Surpassed Wilt Chamberlin to become the all-time leading scorrer in Philadelphia-area high school history. Committed to Duke before deciding to skip college and declare for the NBA draft at age 17.

Coby – Attended Boise State University. 2005-06 All-WAC second team, led the BSU in points (17.2) and assists (4.0). Declared for the NBA draft after his junior season, before withdrawing his name and returning to BSU for his senior season. 2006-07 All-WAC first team. BSU’s all-time leader in games played (127) and three-pointers made (266). Ranks third all-time at BSU in points with 1,698.

So there just might be room for both Kobe and Coby in LA. Just don’t expect Karl to take any minutes away from Bryant, and definitely don’t expect Bryant to dish the ball off to Karl.

I enjoyed last weeks comeback so much, I decided to make it a weekly feature. This is the 2007 D-II national championship game between Barton and Winona St. Winona has a 57-game wining streak going into the game, but Barton has Anthony Atkinson. Atkinson is now pursuing professional basketball in Germany. Enjoy.

Know of any comebacks that you want to see on sportsgarage? Leave a comment!